Timeline of British history (1000–1499)

Last updated September 02, 2025

This article presents a timeline of events in British history from 1000 AD until 1499 AD.

11th century

1002 – Æthelred orders St Brice's Day massacre of Danes
1013 – Danish invasion of England: Æthelred the Unready exiled to Normandy, Sweyn Forkbeard seizes the English throne
1014 – Death of Sweyn Forkbeard, Æthelred restored to the English throne
1016 – Death of Æthelred the Unready, Edmund Ironside accedes to the English throne
1016 – Cnut's invasion of England
1016 – Death of Edmund Ironside, Cnut accedes to the English throne
1034 – Death of King Malcolm II of Scotland, Duncan I of Scotland accedes to the Scottish throne
1035 – Death of Cnut, Harold Harefoot became regent of England for 2 years before becoming king of England in 1037
1040 – Death of Duncan I, Macbeth accedes to the Scottish throne
1040 – Death of Harold Harefoot, his brother Harthacnut accedes to the English throne
1042 – Death of Harthacnut, Edward the Confessor accedes to the English throne
1057 – Death of Macbeth, Lulach accedes to the Scottish throne
1058 – Death of Lulach, Malcolm III accedes to the Scottish throne
1066 – Death of Edward the Confessor in January, Harold II accedes to the English throne.
1066 – Norman Conquest: Death of Harold II at Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror seizes the English throne
1070 – Harrying of the North
1078 – Work commenced on Tintern Abbey
1086 – Work commenced on the Domesday Book
1087 – Death of William the Conqueror, William II acceedes to the English throne
1093 – Death of Malcolm III of Scotland in battle against the English
1100 – Death of William II, Henry I accedes to the English throne
1100 – White Tower (Tower of London) completed

12th century

1135 Death of Henry I, accession of King Stephen to English throne
1137 Beginning of a civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda over the succession to the English throne; accession of Owain Gwynedd, the first Welsh ruler to style himself prince of Wales
1154 Death of King Stephen, accession of Henry II to the English throne
1164 Constitutions of Clarendon, a set of laws which governs the trial of members of the Church in England
1170 Assassination of Thomas Becket; death of Owain Gwynedd, prince of Wales
1189 Death of Henry II, Richard I accedes to the English throne.
1192 Richard is captured by Duke Leopold of Austria whilst returning from the Crusades
1194 Richard is ransomed and returns to England; accession of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth to the throne of Gwynedd
1199 Death of Richard I, King John accedes to the English throne

13th century

1209 King John excommunicated by Pope Innocent III
1212 Great Fire of 1212 began in July in Southwark, London
1215 Magna Carta is agreed by King John at Runnymede
1216 Death of King John, Henry III succeeds to the throne of England
1237 Border between Scotland and England by the Treaty of York
1240 Death of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, prince of Wales; Dafydd ap Llywelyn succeeds to the throne of Gwynedd
1246 Death of Dafydd ap Llywelyn; Llywelyn ap Gruffudd succeeds to the throne of Gwynedd (he does not claim the title of prince of Wales until 1258)
1249 Death of Alexander II, king of Scots; Alexander III succeeds to the throne of Scotland
1263 Battle of Largs, an inconclusive battle fought between Haakon IV of Norway and the Scots
1264 Simon de Montfort leads rebel English barons to defeat Henry III at the Battle of Lewes
1265 Simon de Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham, 5,000 men died in Greenhill and the streets of Evesham on 4 August 1265 Henry III at the Battle of Evesham
1266 Scotland and Norway sign the Treaty of Perth under which Scottish control of the Western Isles is acknowledged
1267 Henry III of England recognises the authority of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in Wales
1272 Death of Henry III, Edward I succeeds to the English throne
1277 England annexes Wales, a state of affairs which lasted until 1283
1279 The first Statutes of Mortmain was passed
1282 Death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, prince of Wales; Dafydd ap Gruffydd succeeds to the throne of Gwynedd
1283 Death of Dafydd ap Gruffydd; English conquest of Wales
1287 Revolt of Rhys ap Maredudd in Wales
1290 The second Statutes of Mortmain was passed (also known as Quia Emptores)
1294 Welsh revolt of 1294–95 of Madog ap Llywelyn in Wales
1297 William Wallace and the Scots defeat the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge

14th century

1305 Capture and execution of Scottish resistance fighter William Wallace by the English on a charge of treason
1306 Robert the Bruce kills John Comyn III of Badenoch and is crowned King of Scotland
1307 Death of Edward I, Edward II accedes to the English throne
1314 Decisive victory for Scotland over England at the Battle of Bannockburn
1316 Revolt of Llywelyn Bren in south Wales
1322 Edward II defeats a rebellious baronial faction at Battle of Boroughbridge
1327 Edward III usurps the English throne in January, Edward II is killed in September
1328 England recognises Scotland's independence in the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton
1338 Edward III claims the throne of France, initiating the Hundred Years' War
1348 The Black Death first arrives in England and ultimately kills c. one third of the population
1356 Battle of Poitiers
1377 Death of Edward III, his grandson Richard II accedes to the English throne
1381 Peasants' Revolt, began in May and ended in November
1392 Statute of Praemunire was enacted
1399 Henry Bolingbroke usurps the English throne becoming Henry IV

15th century

1413 – Henry IV dies and is succeeded by his son, Henry V
1415 – Henry V is welcomed back to England after a major victory at the Battle of Agincourt, France
1422 – Henry V dies and is succeeded by his son, Henry VI
1471 – Henry VI is murdered and Edward IV is restored to the English throne
1453 – Hundred Years' War ended
1455 – Wars of the Roses began in May
1483 – Death of Edward IV, Edward V accedes to the throne
1485 – The Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August ends the Yorkist reign of Richard III and ushers in Tudor reign, with the reign of Henry VII
1487 – The Battle of Stoke Field is fought between Henry VII and Lambert Simnel a Yorkist claimant to the throne. It is the last battle of the Wars of the Roses

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